Bruins sign Matt Bartkowski to one-year deal, avoid arbitration

The Bruins have avoided arbitration with Matt Bartkowski, signing the defenseman to a one-year, $1.25 million contract

By Dan CagenDaily News staff

The Bruins have avoided arbitration with Matt Bartkowski, signing the defenseman to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.

Bartkowski was a restricted free agent and had opted for arbitration. His hearing was scheduled for July 30, but this deal nullifies that well before the sides go before an arbitrator.

Bartkowski nearly doubles his salary from last season, when he played on a one-year, $650,000 contract. He played 64 games last season and had 18 assists with a plus-22 rating. His role was bumped up after Dennis Seidenberg’s season-ending ACL tear, performing well at times before struggling down the stretch and into the playoffs.

A late bloomer, Bartkowski is only entering his fifth season as a professional. However, Bartkowski will be 27 years old when this contract expires, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time next summer.

Whether Bartkowski is still with the Bruins at that time is up in the air. They have both salary cap issues and a logjam of defensemen, both of which means the Bruins have to move out at least one blue liner.

With Bartkowski in the fold, the Bruins have $4.418 million (per CapGeek) in salary cap space for this season, which accounts for placing Marc Savard’s $4.027 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve.

The next priorities for Chiarelli this summer are to lock down entry-level free agents Torey Krug and Reilly Smith; if Bartkowski received $1.25 million, both could get $1.5 million, if only on one-year deals before signing longer extensions next summer.

There are also three forward spots open, including a 13th forward. That means space will have to be pried open.

Trading from the surplus of defensemen is the easiest option. Bartkowski, Johnny Boychuk, Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller and David Warsofsky are all candidates to be moved. Boychuk would bring the most return and the greatest cap flexibility.

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